Abstract:
Objective The aim was to address the issue of decreased phosphorus availability in chernozem caused by long-term improper tillage, and to clarify the regulatory effects of microbial-sourced artificially synthesized humic acid (AHA) on phosphorus fractions in different soil layers of this soil.
Method A laboratory constant-temperature incubation experiment was conducted with chernozem samples from different soil layers (0-10 cm: U layer, 10 - 20 cm: M layer, 20 - 30 cm: D layer) as the research objects. Two groups were set up: a control group (CK) without AHA application; b treatment groups with AHA addition. The effects of AHA on phosphorus fractions in each soil layer were analyzed.
Result AHA exerted significant differences in its effects on phosphorus fractions across different soil layers, showing an overall trend of M layer > U layer > D layer. In the U layer, AHA increased NaHCO3-Pi and NaHCO3-Po by 41.2% and 44.8% compared with CK. However, the pH increased to 8.0, which resulted in only 12.7% increase in NaOH-Pi and 9.3 % decrease in Res-P. In the M layer, AHA promoted the synergistic increase of total organic carbon (TOC) and electrical conductivity (EC) while maintaining a neutral to slightly alkaline pH. Compared with CK, NaHCO3-Pi, NaHCO3-Po, NaOH-Po, and Res-P increased by 97%, 92.3%, 15%, and 22.6%, respectively. In the D layer, soil compaction restricted the infiltration of AHA, leading to a weak response of environmental factors. NaHCO3-Pi, NaHCO3-Po, and NaOH-Pi increased by 29.3%, 24.4%, and 61.5 %, respectively. While the effects on other phosphorus fractions were minimal. Correlation analysis showed that AHA enhanced the positive correlations between total nitrogen and Res-P, between nitrate nitrogen and NaHCO3-Pi/Po, as well as the negative correlations between particulate organic carbon(POC)and some phosphorus fractions. Environmental factors regulated phosphorus storage and sensitivity through synergistic effects (e.g., TOC and EC in the M layer) and antagonistic effects (e.g., pH and EC in the U layer), with the most significant synergistic effect observed in the M layer.
Conclusion AHA can improve phosphorus availability in chernozem by optimizing its physicochemical environment. In practice, targeted application of AHA in the middle soil layer can enhance the utilization efficiency of soil phosphorus.